T he Bitter End
Salzburg also owes its name to this vital mineral – Salzburg translates directly to City of Salt. Let’s drift inland just a way, up the Savannah River, to city of Savannah itself. So, like the riddle of the chicken and the egg, which came first, the city or the river? Several different origins have been given by local tour guides (if you don’t know, make it up and sound convincing). One story claims the name was copied from the savanna's of the African continent. Another more fanciful tale claims that a young girl named Anna fell into the swift current. Her mother, fearing the girl would drown, ran along the bank yelling, “Save Anna! Save Anna!” Many such stories work their way into our oral histories and are often repeated as truth. However, long before Oglethorpe settled the city on the river’s bluffs, the river was already called “Savana,” taken from the Savana tribe of the Shawnee, who lived near the mouth of the river near present day Augusta. Ossabaw, one Georgia’s largest barrier islands derives it’s name from a similar sounding words in the Guale and Creek languages, both meaning “yaupon holly bush place.” Continuing in the common theme of places named after plants or animals found there, Wassaw Island’s name is also from the Creek. Wiso, pronounced wee’-so, meaning sassafras, evolved to Wassaw over time.
What's in a Name? By Captain J. Gary “Gator” Hill Captain Gator is taking a brief hiatus due to a busy charter season. He'll return soon, but in the meanwhile we'll run some past favorites.
W
hat’s in a name? If we were to ask Mr. Shakespeare, The Bard might tell us that a rose by any other name would smell as sweet. Ask our parents and we might be advised on the importance of honoring the family name. But what I find really interesting are the names of streets, rivers and even islands in the lowcountry – what the names mean and why they were given. In an area rich in the history of Native Americans and early European settlers, there are quite literally dozens of possible place names we could look at, such as Coosawhatchie, Ogeechee or Satilla, to name a few. But I’m hardly an expert on onomatology (the study of names), so let’s examine a few names that even I’ve been able to easily research. We’ll start with Daufuskie Island. When I first heard of this little barrier island just across the Calibogue Sound from Hilton Head, I was curious as to the origin of its name. The first thing I was told was it stemmed from the Gullah patois, “Dah Fust Caye” or “the first cay,” meaning key, or island. Sounded about right to me, and for a while I went on believing this to be the gospel. Then I learned that the Island had been called Daufuskie long before the Gullah culture began to evolve in the 1700s. Figuring a little research was in order, off to Google I went, and what I found was much different. Turns out it’s a compound word from the Creek language. “Daufa,” meaning feather, and “fuskie,” meaning sharp or pointed. What we now know as Daufuskie originally meant “pointed feather,” which is the general shape of the island. Next, we’ll move down the coast a few miles to Tybee Island. Although many locals think of Tybee only as Savannah’s beach, the name of this island also goes back hundreds of years. And once again the name has Native American roots, in this instance the Euchee Tribe, part of the huge Creek Nation that extended over much of the lowcountry. Tybee means “salt.” But why? Quite simply, salt was a precious commodity. It was used for curing hides, preserving meats and as a trade good. The word salt finds its way into many ancient names dating back to the Bronze Age such as, the Via Salaria in Italy. The word “salary” comes from the Latin base word for salt, and was quite often used to pay Roman Legionaries. The city of
What do feathers and salt have to do with anything? Read on! Photo by Captain J. Gary Hill
A drive through the lowcountry of South Carolina and Georgia will lead you to a variety of unique names, such as Lazaretto, Yemassee, Waccamaw, Sapelo, and more. Indulge your curiosity and do a little fact checking. You might be surprised what’s in a name. Until next time, I'll see y'all on the water!
Email: jgaryhill@gmail.com 30
Southern Tides Magazine
July 2018
